Some critics of my book “Reign of Error” say that “reformers” are not privatizers. Who, me, they say, in all innocence?
I invite them to read this post by veteran reporter Bobby Tanzilo in Milwaukee. Here is a city with a thriving voucher program, a thriving charter sector, and a shrinking public school system (that contains disproportionate numbers of students with disabilities and English learners who are unwanted by the other two sectors).
All of this competition among the three sectors was to produce dramatic improvement, but it didn’t. Milwaukee has had school choice for 23 years. Today, it is one of the lowest performing urban districts on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
But the business leaders of Milwaukee, Tanzilo writes, want more choice. They want more privatization. They want the entire city school district turned into a “Recovery School District,” to emulate those in New Orleans and Memphis.
Tanzilo writes:
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce – which has in the past supported stripping the elected school board of its power and drawing away funding from Milwaukee Public Schools to pay for private and religious school vouchers – sponsored a pair of PowerPoint presentations on education that were shown to its members in August.
These slideshows touted the so-called “recovery districts” in New Orleans and Memphis and suggest to me – and others I’ve spoken to – that rumors that the group is pushing the recovery district idea for Milwaukee are true.
Recovery districts are public school systems that have had their autonomy and local control usurped by state capitols at the urging of corporate school reformers whose goal is to privatize public schools. The districts are then turned over to private, outside entities that are accountable to no one … or at least not us citizens and parents.
In short, they want to eliminate public education in Milwaukee altogether. They should do their homework. Even the Cowen Institute at Tulane–which supports charter schools–acknowledges that 2/3 of the charters in New Orleans are low-performing schools. And the so-called Achievement District in Memphis is too new to have any meaningful results.
The bottom line is that the business and civic leaders in Milwaukee think that the best way to improve the schools is to abolish public education and privatize control of all the schools. They have not a scintilla of evidence for doing so. The charter sector and the voucher sector in Milwaukee do not outperform the struggling public sector.
What is it that appeals to Milwaukee’s leaders? The absence of any democratic role in public education?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I work in a voucher school in Milwaukee. In fact, I’ve worked the last three years in three different voucher schools in Milwaukee. I’ve had some good experiences, but overall my experiences with the schools has been negative. The students are allowed to under perform and aren’t given any kind of expectations to meet. At one school, a religious-based school, I had parents, administration, and co-workers actively working to undermine any educational benefit I might provide.
What appeals to them is segregating the desirable from the less-desirable (from their viewpoint) students. The pity is that the Wis. Dept. of Public Instruction (DPI) was given a gift to fight back against this segregation in voucher schools when the USDOJ issued a directive to stop permitting voucher schools to discriminate against students with disabilities. To date, has failed to heed the directive, and USDOJ has failed to follow through with enforcement. A sad state of affairs as I wrote here. http://systemschangeconsulting.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/defending-the-civil-rights-of-children-with-disabilities-in-voucher-schools/
This is off topic, but I just read your job description on your web site and my head exploded.
It sounds like they were violating IDEA more than ADA,. ADA compliance is usually for employees. IDEA compliance is the law for children with disabilities in the schools. http://idea.ed.gov/
IDEA specifies the right to a free and appropriate public education, but Section 504 applies, too, and ADA does as well.
ADA concerns public accommodations, which includes private schools. Law suits filed against private child care centers that have discriminated against children with disabilities have typically charged lack of compliance with ADA.
Programs cannot discriminate against children with disabilities just because they are private or privately managed (except religious organizations):
http://www.ada.gov/childq%26a.htm
What is it that appeals to Milwaukee’s leaders?
A two word answer: “Lower taxes”. Decent wages and benefits for school employees, small class sizes, and modern schools cost money… and that money comes from taxes.
Another two word answer: “No unions”
As long as public employe unions exist businesses are threatened by the fact that their employees might look at what others have and say “I want some too”. Ironically, that’s what happened decades ago when the State was full of union employees who got a decent wage. SCHOOLS asked for what the other employees had and, in a spirit of fairness, school boards provided it. Unfortunately the folks who formerly had good wages and benefits now have neither, thanks, in all probability, to the folks on the business roundtable who outsourced work and closed the factories.
Everyone needs to come together to find a way to provide jobs that pay a decent wage for those who are looking for work. That could restore the virtuous circle that made public education valued by taxpayers and parents.
Thanks CT. Good explanation.I am familiar with all 3 laws and IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehab act apply to all children in the district whether in public, charter or private schools. There are provisions for private that are somewhat different for parent placements but most charters are still considered part of their schools district and receive the special education services. ADA applies too, but I was surprised he only mentioned ADA. Here is the IDEA law on private: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CTopicalBrief%2C5%2C but some charters tend to count themselves as public when it helps them receive services at no cost (and private when it comes to accountability). I have known some excellent charter schools though so I do not want to paint them with too broad of a brush.
Whoops I meant to reply to Cosmic Thinker- my apologies.
Another good example of Milton Friedman’s disaster capitalism as described in Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine”.
If we lose public education we won’t get it back. I don’t get any sense from the well-intentioned reformers that they are even aware of this, but it’s true.
If you want to know what a private, fragmented, for-profit system will look like, look at our health care system. We never had a universal public health care system, but we have a universal public K-12 system. To throw that away is insanity. We will deeply regret it. Fragmentation produces poor outcomes for MOST people in public health and it will do the same in public education.
Parents could be begging Congress for a “public option” in education in a decade if this continues.
What do they want? KaChing $$$$$ for elites.
As well as power, which, yes, means, a lack of democracy, as currently exists in private enterprises –and where most people already spend their day, have few choices, little say and receive much less $ than those controlling the purse strings.
So, Diane, does the 1000 “reformers” in the ballroom include all of the politicians who are behind the privatization scheme, too, or is that just the monied interests?
+1
Today, I went onto the David Cruz Show at 1150 AM KTLK in L.A. We were going to discuss the iPad debacle but it immediately, as a result of previous topics, to truancy. Kamala Harris just released a study on the truancy of elementary students. It is appalling. Dramatic numbers of elementary students do not come to school an unbelievable number of days. It is all laid out by county in false colors. Here is how they have hidden this. In every school budget I have looked at and it is a lot they have enrollment by grade level. It is really stable until the 8th grade. I had assumed that OK elementary school they go to school as they are little children. No, not what happens.
We do have the overall numbers though. Of the 8 CORE California Federal Waiver Schools 3 have not coming to school everyday 17%, 24% and 24%. Why would you give incompetents flexibility?
The students not coming to school everyday are the low performers. When you want to raise test scores which is what NCLB and RTT is all about who cares about them. That is someone elses problem. Yes, now it is welfare, county health, medical and the criminal justice system at greatly increased costs financially and to society.
At the end he asked me about what I thought about Deasy. I said “He has no ethics, he has a phony PHD, he has a phony work record, I give him and FFFFF—-.” He says “There is a guy who tells you how it is.” Next, Apple and iPads fall on their corruption in England and at LAUSD. Coming soon with full documentation. Truancy trumped iPads today. Have to have them off the street for them to have them.
George, for a LONG time now I’ve thought that chronic absenteeism and more specifically, it’s rotating nature is one of the 800 ton gorillas in the VAM room. When a teacher does not have a full class let alone the same group of kids in the same class each time then how is it possible to move them all forward in order to please the VAM beast? From what I’ve been able to find out, VAM’s adjustment for absenteeism, like the one for SES is just an on/off switch, there’s no progression, no range to it at all. I encourage anyone who has a better operational understanding of VAM to school me on this as I’d like to not be wrong. Thanks in advance.
I forgot to point out the irony that the presence of SES status as an adjustment in VAM contradicts the whole “no excuses” pantsload.
“. . . who has a better operational understanding of VAM to school me. . .”
If I may “school” you on VAM. It really is quite simple!
VAM = Bullshit!
That’s the title of the lesson and all you need to know is contained in that statement.
Up in the middle of the night again. Pondering the state of our public schools. I almost moved to Milwaukee ten years ago; in fact I remember driving in a rental car to several places to get applications for teaching. White Fish Bay (?) was the one recommended to me; but I was open to any situation. Alas, I did not end up moving there.
I think, as Diane asks, “what is it that appeals to them?” is that the “new normal” (as the current state of things is characterized by my superintendent in NC) or the corporate reform movement gives jerks something to hide behind. It protects those who have no heart (or so it seems). Or, it requires that people forget they have a heart.
I wrote earlier about the data room lady in my building and that is what led me to this conclusion. I try not to allow individuals to lead me to conclusions about entire forces, but I will say that the lady who enforces the curriculum in our building (RttT and CCSS) never smiles and today had no hesitation in trying to keep seven second grade teachers from attending the music program for their classes of students. I imagine she views music as fluff. And, again, even though I want to avoid a personal projection on things I can tell you without a doubt that nobody in the school where I work (including her) could ever have gotten into or graduated from the undergraduate college I attended and graduated from. Most of my college peers are very financially successful and own companies, are doctors, are lawyers, are politicians. . .I just happened to love music and I am very popular with children. So, finding myself completely on my own at age 19, I decided to go with those strengths (and they bring me joy) and after a couple years performing in restaurants and working in churches, I went back to school (3 more years) to become certified as a teacher. I feel as though this data room woman considers her CCSS and testing mandates to be far superior to anything the lowly music teacher (who graduated from a better school than she did) could ever offer the sea of data in the new data mining approach to public education. And her role as the enforcer of RttT and CCSS either allows her to be that way or requires that she be that way.
My husband is a real estate attorney. Recently somebody wanted to donate land to the city for a dog park. The owner of the adjacent land wanted to know if he could block that gesture. My husband explained to him that yes, he could try, but that he would look like a giant a__hole (I know Diane likes for us to avoid crass language, but that term does get dropped in business talk) if he did so. The guy chuckled and agreed and decided not to worry with trying to do something like that.
But we have a movement of proverbial dog-park-on-adjacent-land blockers trying (and often) running things. Many of them are jerks, or they have subscribed to a system that requires them to be jerks.
It is possible to have high standards and still be loving. It is possible to command respect, and still be a warm person. It is possible to model proper language skills and ambitious, personal “rigor” without cramming it down people’s throats. It is possible to be highly successful and not tout it over people or need to be in charge of them. It’s like the difference between etiquette and manners. Etiquette is knowing which fork to use at a dinner party; manners is not drawing attention to it when a person uses the wrong fork (and as a southern Episcopalian I should know about all dealings with dinner forks).
I put this culture of creating systems that require jerk mentalities into the desperation of our economy; people so badly want to feel in charge and in control. I attribute the effects of organizations like ALEC, and all of Jeb’s little clubs (good Lord, the guy has started more coalitions than anyone I have ever heard of) to a lack of knowing what else to do, and a fear of exposing their own (our own) humanity. In fact, I’m sure we all do these type smokescreens in our lives. . .it’s just that lately people with a lot of influence and giant smoke-screens seem to be prevailing. I watched a bank city exec wither away once because he perceived his role to be mostly being on boards in the community, at ribbon cuttings and so forth and meanwhile his bank was going down the tubes. He lost his job (which he probably should never have had to begin with. . .Peter principle in action). And I think to myself, I hope some folks with heart begin to take hold of things.
When I was discussing my day with my husband and told him how my principal seemed embarrassed (as well she should have) that the data room lady would even want to consider keeping a group of teachers from being there to support their children in a music program (a very involved one, I might add) he indicated that as a music teacher I was making the system (RttT and CCSS data room enforcer lady’s job), at that moment, look bad. The principal rose to the occasion and overruled the data room lady (she is the principal, after all) and the teachers were there. And that is how I know those who value the human heart and the true quality of life of those around us (without having weak standards) will eventually gain ground again over the systems that require that we all be jerks (pitted against each other, hoping to keep our jobs, while cookie cutter data mining the children). No! That way is not going to win out.
So, back to Diane’s question. Why does this appeal to people? The systems that require being a jerk. Because people are scared. And that is where those of us who are not scared need to speak loudly, clearly, lovingly and by example.
I am a music teacher. And I am not scared.
When I graduated from college a favorite uncle wrote me a long letter encouraging me as I stepped over the threshold of student and into the world of adult, and I remember most these words: “Jo, live long and prosper. . .give off more light than heat.” I hope those giving off light become brighter and brighter. Because there is far too much heat going on.
Joanna,
“. . . (who graduated from a better school than she did). . .”
I know it was late when you wrote that but I do believe my recently departed mom would have said “You sooo full of yourself, get over it”.
A little harsh, Joanna, but I see no need for you to condescend to anyone through such statements. I’m definitely an educational peon when it comes to where I got my pieces of paper that says I’m edumacated, that is, if one believes in ranking schools as a measure of one’s educational worth. You’re better than that.
Duane
fair enough.
Thanks for keeping me humble.
P.S. Believe me I heard that from my mom many, many times-ha ha!
So, the local overclass in Milwaukee is using Power Point presentations to gin up the privatization campaigns?
No real surprise there: I guess they’re as shallow as the education they’re trying to upon the kids.
Then again, greed and the will to power are lowest common denominator traits, aren’t they?
Please excuse the shoddy proofreading: the second paragraph should read “… they’re as shallow as the education they’re trying to impose upon the kids.”
I think business leaders are pushing more than privatization in education these days and the nation needs to “BEWARE”. They have openly discussed the need to privatize social security and medicare. I feel that they are now busy strategizing to ensure their goals are not up for discussion but instead are an orchestrated “done deal” by a series of strategic steps. This is exactly what happened in public education. The first alarm bells sounded in education were “a nation at risk” and aimed at “fixing the problems” of our nation’s young students. Now it is social security and medicare that corporations want to ENSURE are privatized to fix the problems of adults… this is my hypothesis…no national vote or discussion but a done deal through tactics leading to for profit results and we are seeing more and more of the concept of “A nation of adults at risk”…. being addressed…
Wow.. the first time we all saw the education “issue” raised it was a tactic by corporate strategists to privatize education. They could do this fairly easily because public school funds were increasingly linked to politicians through PAC money and “benevolent” philanthropy (think Bill Gates). We wound up with RTTT and schools beholden to lots of policy leading to student and teacher “failure” resulting in a manufactured ed crisis when in reality the CRISIS WAS (continues to be) long term effects of POVERTY.
Here is the article link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/us-adults-lag-most-countries-in-literacy-math-and-computer-skills/2013/10/07/c4654f54-2f91-11e3-8906-3daa2bcde110_story.html
“”an orchestrated “done deal”. . .”
Can you say Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine”?
Yes, cutting Social Security and Medicare is the unspoken agenda behind the political theater of the government shutdown.
The current faux melodrama may appear like a cross between opera buffa and professional wrestling (with Boehner playing the Heel and Obama the Good Guy), but the end result will be further austerity, increased human suffering and profiteering off of it.
And Obama is the Trojan Horse/Impersonator brought in to divide the Democratic Party and negotiate the Grand Betrayal that is intended to bring that about.
The MMAC is comprised of individuals so it is always useful to analyze the people and not the institution.
So let’s start with…Timothy Sheehy
MMAC Welcomes Rocketship Education to Milwaukee
Expansion of National Charter School Network Will Increase High-Quality Educational Options
The MMAC, in partnership with Schools That Can Milwaukee, the City of Milwaukee and corporate and private investors, celebrated the announcement today that Rocketship Education a proven, innovative model of independent charter schools, will expand in Milwaukee with eight new schools beginning in 2013.
Milwaukee marks Rocketship’s first expansion outside California,a decision the school made largely on the urgency and collaboration among Milwaukee’s city government, business community, and local non-profits and foundations, according to Rocketship CEO John Danner.
MMAC will play a leadership role in the continued success of Rocketship schools, with MMAC President Tim Sheehy serving as the Rocketship Education Milwaukee local board chair.
CitizensArrest, thanks. I am stunned by this report. I guess I should send it to Diane and maybe it can be posted for all. I am sure now that this is going on nationwide. When they can keep this from someone like me they have done a very good job of hiding their total incompetence and lack of concern for our youth. As all know if you are not at grade level by the third grade we know the consequences. All the studies show the same thing, failure. They have purposely hid this through putting the enrollment by grade level in the CDE website and in the districts budgets but not the ADA, or those who really showed up, as in the total district numbers on the CDE website. So, stupidly and foolishly, assumed that these were elementary children and the API scores through elementary are good until middle and the enrollment is as stable as can be so stupidly I assumed along with the rest until this study except for a few on the inside who certainly knew for a long time like those loser academics who are paid to watch for this. I will never fall for that one again.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris thank you for this absolutely necessary study to help get into focus where the real problem is and that is in elementary school. If they do not do good there there is no way for them to do well in high school without massive remediation instead of taking care of business where it belongs and that is in the beginning. This is why my friend Tom Carter has fought for years to have the truancy digitized with the legal letters sent to parent about the truancy and the Zak Kukoff and his friends concept now being used of text messaging the parent and/or guardian in real time that their student is not in school.
YOU MUST READ THE KAMALA HARRIS STUDY ON ELEMENTARY TRUANCY. IT IS IN YOUR STATE ALSO. DEMAND THE ENROLLMENT AND ADA OF YOUR DISTRICT.
Public schools are not panaceas for poverty or crime or any of the other ills of our society, but they can provide a place for a community to come together, to learn to get along with each other, to watch out for each other. They can create a sense of security and predictability for our children. Privatization of our schools destroys this sense of community. It takes ownership out of the hands of the community and renders parents powerless in the education of their own children. Those in power would do well to invest in schools that strengthen our communities.
I’d like to see some stats to back up this claim: “The charter sector and the voucher sector in Milwaukee do not outperform the struggling public sector.”
Read Stephanie Simon’s recent article in politico.com. I will be posting it in the next few days.